Elegant Eating through the Holidays

With Christmas just around the corner, and many of us starting to wind down for the holidays, I thought I would leave you with a few strategies/reminders you can take with you throughout the remainder of the year.

These come directly from my Elegant Eating handbook, but I’ve included their “holiday” application.

(If you haven’t already downloaded a copy and would like to, you can access the FREE handbook here.)

Here are the 6 strategies, along with how they can be applied throughout the holidays.

1. Return to Real Food: Simplify Your Diet by Getting Back-to-Basics

Among the holiday treats, you can still make whole foods your baseline. For example, if you know you’re going to be having an indulgent dinner in the evening, then you might choose to make your daytime “business as usual,” meaning you would stick to your standard eating protocol for breakfast and lunch. Also, by making a point to add in the healthier stuff throughout the day, you’ll naturally crowd out some of the less favorable.

A great rule of thumb to fall back on is the 80/20 principle – in this case, 80% of your intake would be in the form of whole foods, and the other 20% you can choose whatever you want. If a 70/30 split is more reasonable, then go with that!

2. Reduce Cravings & Over-Desire: Shelve Refined Carbs (Sugar + Flour)

The issue with refined carbs, particularly sugary and floury treats, is that when you eat a lot of them, they actually cause you to crave and desire MORE of them, leading to a vicious cycle of highs and lows.

While shelving them for a while can help you break that cycle and reestablish a “healthier relationship” with them, during the holidays, on the other hand, you may want to make an exception to include them in your diet – this is where planning ahead can be helpful. I’ll touch on this more below in point # 4.

3. Fast Intermittently: Reduce Your Eating Widow + Limit Snacking

Regardless of what you’re eating throughout the holidays, you can still choose to eat within your normal eating window and limit in-between meal snacking. Many of my clients do well eating within a 10-hour window, but some find they get better results with an 8-hour window, while others are just more comfortable with 12 hours. (For the remaining hours, they are fasting.)

This is a routine that can be easily kept up through the holidays if you choose.

4. Decide Ahead of Time: Create Freedom with the 24 Hour Plan

This is probably one of the best tools to take with you through the holidays if you have a weight-loss and/or health goal.

For example, all of my clients have regular eating protocols that they’re following based on their goals, but they’re also planning out their exceptions (including treats and drinks) ahead of time. Essentially they’re making decisions before any particular eating situation arises regarding what exceptions they’ll be making. Then when that time rolls around, they follow through on their commitment to themselves.

The key here is to take care of your future self (i.e. you tomorrow) by ensuring that your “plan” is easy (and enjoyable) to follow through on while still allowing you to make progress towards your goal.

5. Eat to Nourish, Not to Numb: Unwind the Habit of Emotional Eating

The holidays can bring up many emotions in people, but if you’re an emotional eater, to begin with, it can be a particularly trying time, especially if you’re surrounded by lots of temptations. It’s important to know that the food isn’t the real trigger that leads us to eat the “thing.” It’s actually the thought that we’re thinking before taking the first bite that causes us to act on the urge.

We basically have 3 choices when an urge arises: 1. React to it and eat the thing (in other words, avoid the uncomfortable feeling), 2. Resist it (i.e. go to battle with the urge, rely on willpower), or 3. Allow it to be there without acting on it (i.e. FEEL it, breathe through it, and sit with the discomfort of it).

Spoiler alert: The third option is the only way to get to the root of the problem and unwind the habit for good. Keep choosing (and practicing) number 3, over and over again.

6. Cultivate an Elegant Mindset: Be the Watchful Gatekeeper

The thoughts we think determine how we feel, and when we feel good, we make better choices.

Don’t waste time entertaining thoughts that make you feel guilty or regretful about your food choices. If you decide you’re going to eat something, just eat it, enjoy it, and move on.

Furthermore, thoughts are like energy, just like the food we eat. If you go into a situation feeling fearful of food, or obsessing over the “damage” you’re going to do to your waistline, consider how that might affect how you digest and assimilate your food.

Consider shifting your focus away from the food and toward celebrating the moment with those you love and/or toward your vision for 2021 to keep you moving towards what you ultimately want.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Elaine

P.S. Want to work with me in 2021? Get started by submitting your application. Access all of the details here. Spots are limited for January.